Composition for seamless intermediate transfer belt

Abstract

The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to an image forming apparatus comprising a seamless intermediate transfer belt, and methods for making the same. The seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises a film forming A-B diblock copolymer. In other embodiment, the seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises the film forming A-B diblock copolymer and carbon black dispersion. The prepared seamless intermediate transfer belt of present disclosure provides increased mechanical strength to resist scratch/wear failure and early onset of fatigue-bend cracking development under normal dynamic intermediate transfer belt machine cycling conditions in the field, and thus extend the service life of the belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A seamless intermediate transfer belt comprising a polycarbonate, wherein the polycarbonate is an A-B diblock copolymer comprising a bisphenol A polycarbonate segment block (A) and a phthalic acid containing segment block (B) terminal capable of providing protection against amine species contaminants, selected from the group consisting of Formula (I) and Formula (II) below: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein z represents the number of bisphenol A repeating units in block A of from about 9 to about 18, y is number of repeating phthalic acid block B of from about 1 to about 2, and n is the degree of polymerization between about 20 and about 90 for the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight between about 100,000 and about 250,000, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       2. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1  further comprising a carbon black dispersion. 
     
     
       3. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 2 , wherein the carbon black dispersion is present in an amount of from about 5.0 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       4. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 3 , wherein the carbon black dispersion is present in an amount of from about 9.0 to about 12 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       5. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 2 , wherein the A-B diblock copolymer is present in an amount of from about 95 to about 85 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       6. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 5 , wherein the A-B diblock copolymer is present in an amount of from about 91 to about 88 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       7. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1 , wherein the degree n of polymerization of the A-B diblock copolymer is from about 40 to about 70. 
     
     
       8. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1 , wherein a weight average molecular weight of the A-B diblock copolymer is from about 130,000 to about 200,000. 
     
     
       9. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1 , wherein the bisphenol A segmental block (A) of the A-B diblock copolymer of Formulas (I) and (II) are replaced by one of the following alternate polycarbonates: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
       10. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1 , wherein the phthalic acid segmental block (B) of the A-B diblock copolymer of Formulas (I) and (II) are replaced by an alternate organic acids selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein W is an aromatic moiety or an aliphatic moiety of dicarboxylic acid derived from a phthalic acid, an terephthalic acid, or an isophthalic acid, or an aliphatic acid, and y is from about 1 to about 2. 
     
     
       11. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1 , wherein the bisphenol A segmental block (A) and phthalic acid segmental block (B) of the A-B diblock copolymer of Formulas (I) and (II) are both replaced by an alternate polycarbonate and an alternate organic acid, respectively, the alternate polycarbonate segmental block (A) being one selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and the alternate organic acid segmental block (B) being one selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein W is an aromatic moiety or an aliphatic moiety of dicarboxylic acid derived from a phthalic acid, an terephthalic acid, or an isophthalic acid, or an aliphatic acid, and y is from about 1 to about 2. 
     
     
       12. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1  having a thickness of from about 50 to about 150 microns. 
     
     
       13. The seamless intermediate transfer belt of  claim 1  having an electrical resistivity of between 1.0×10 9  ohms/sq. and 1.0×10 13  ohms/sq. 
     
     
       14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an imaging member for forming a toner image; and 
 a seamless intermediate transfer belt for transferring the toner image formed on the imaging member to a receiving medium, wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises a dispersion of carbon black and an A-B diblock copolymer comprising a bisphenol A polycarbonate segment block (A) and a phthalic acid containing segment block (B) terminal capable of providing protection against amine species contaminants, selected from the group consisting of Formula (I) and Formula (II) below: 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein z represents the number of bisphenol A repeating units in block A of from about 9 to about 18, y is number of repeating phthalic acid block B of from about 1 to about 2, and n is the degree of polymerization between about 20 and about 90 for the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight between about 100,000 and about 250,000, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       15. The image forming apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt further comprises carbon black in an amount of from about 5.0 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an imaging member for forming a toner image; and 
 a seamless intermediate transfer belt for transferring the toner image formed on the imaging member to a receiving medium, wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises an A-B diblock copolymer comprising a bisphenol A polycarbonate segment block (A) and a phthalic acid containing segment block (B) terminal capable of providing protection against amine species contaminants, selected from the group consisting of Formula (I) and Formula (II) below: 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein z represents the number of bisphenol A repeating units in block A of from about 9 to about 18, y is number of repeating phthalic acid block B of from about 1 to about 2, and n is the degree of polymerization between about 20 and about 90 for the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight between about 100,000 and about 250,000, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       17. The image forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt is prepared by applying an intermediate transfer belt coating solution over a flexible stainless steel substrate belt or rigid drum and dried at an elevated temperature of at least 10° C. higher than a boiling point of a solvent in the coating solution. 
     
     
       18. The image forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt is prepared by applying an intermediate transfer belt coating solution over a stainless steel substrate, dried at an elevated temperature of at least 10° C. higher than a boiling point of a solvent in the coating solution to produce a sheet, and bonding two opposite ends of the sheet by butt-joints through solvent fusion to give a seamless intermediate belt. 
     
     
       19. The image forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises a carbon black dispersion that is present in an amount of from about 9.0 to about 12 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt. 
     
     
       20. The image forming apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the A-B diblock copolymer is present in an amount of from about 95 to about 85 percent by weight of the total weight of the seamless intermediate transfer belt.